Lina Iris Viktor Paints with Gold

Born in London, Lina Iris Viktor merges hip hop and high fashion with Art Nouveau patterns to create bold artworks that scream contemporary pop expression. Many of her designs contrast soft swirls and sharp peaks, referencing motifs used to convey the mood of spiritual and technological progress of the early 20th century. Viktor however, is perhaps best known for her use of 24k gold. The artist, who has an interest in astrophysics and theater, uses the luxury material to elicit the same guttural response of awe that viewers have expressed towards uses of gold for centuries, such as in Byzantine icons. In many ways, Viktor makes herself into a medieval icon, inserting her own image within her paintings or photographing herself with her artworks. Her signature white hair and monochrome body suits largely meld into the gilded patterns, and thus deny the mode of self-portraiture. Instead, Viktor becomes one with her artwork, a part of the geometry and overall order of her universes.